Beijing Issues First AIGC Trade Secret Fine Over Stolen Translation Software

Beijing authorities have issued a 100,000 RMB fine to a former employee who copied and cracked a proprietary AIGC translation software to start a competing business. This marks the city's first administrative penalty case involving trade secrets in the AIGC sector. The case legally establishes that proprietary AIGC software can be protected as trade secrets under administrative enforcement, setting a precedent for future AI intellectual property disputes. It also highlights the boundary between talent mobility and intellectual property theft in the digital economy. Investigators used digital forensics to analyze software installation traces, database access logs, and project output files, establishing a complete evidence chain of "copying, cracking, cross-company reuse, and profiting." The penalty was handed down under Article 26 of the PRC Anti-Unfair Competition Law.